The Bangalee nation especially the youths with their animated vigour and colourful mind celebrated Pahela Falgun, a festival welcoming the advent of spring, today leaving a message to all that love, affection, respect and commitment should be cornerstones of removing all ills and building the nation.
This year the festival came when the entire world is facing the coronavirus pandemic.
Formal programmes marking the day were not arranged at Bakultala on the premises of Fine Arts Faculty on Dhaka University (DU) campus, center point of the festival, in view of the pandemic.
But the people celebrated the day informally wearing colorful dresses and floral ornaments and offering flowers to dear and near ones maintaining health guidelines.
Jatiya Basanta Utsab Udjapan Parishad arranged a function titled ‘Jatiya Basanta Utsab 1427’ at Mukta Mancha of Suhrawardy Udyan maintaining health guidelines.
The parishad has been arranging the programme at the Bakultala on DU campus since 1991 but this year it arranged the function at Suhrawardy Udyan as the university authorities decided to cancel all formal programmes in the wake of coronavirus pandemic.
The programme was held in two phases – first phase from 7:00 am to 10 am and second phase from 3:30 pm to 7 pm.
Cultural Personality Nasiruddin Yusuf Bachchu inaugurated the festival.
Bangalees mark the spring festival on the first day of Bengali month of Falgun. It is also called Basanta Utsab. It usually falls on February 13.
On the day, the capital Dhaka and other major cities of the country usually become ablaze with mirth and merriment as curious youngsters wear yellow and red dresses, flower-made ornaments and attend traditional musical functions.
But this year, the festival was celebrated in a small scale avoiding all gathering.
Newspapers published special supplements carrying the message of the festivals.
People usually put on colorful “bashonti” (yellow or orange colored) outfit particularly yellow or red panjabis and sarees and present flowers to their soul mates as a token of their profound love for each other. Girls wear floral ornaments like crown.
In nature, it is considered that “Krishnachura” flower brings the message of arrival of spring.
